Snowmance
by jamesandlilyff
Summary: A collection of Christmas-themed one shots featuring your favorite ships falling in love during the most wonderful time of the year. I take requests! Some chapters will be based off of songs, others will not. Enjoy and Happy Holidays!


Christmas time at Hogwarts was undoubtedly Lily Evan's favorite time of year.

The grounds were covered in a blanket of sparkly white snow that glimmered as the sun radiantly rose every morning. The countless lights and ornaments that hung on the trees brightened her day just a little more, and the sweet aroma of gingerbread and pine wafted through the corridors at all hours. The hot chocolate was endless, the snowball fights were thrilling, and everything was just blissful. It wasn't possible for Lily to feel anything but joy throughout December, and presently relaxing by the common room fire, she had never felt more content.

"Knight to E5," Sirius muttered as he concentrated hard on his game of wizard's chess with Remus. Peter sat next to them, observing the match with excited eyes. James was in the armchair nearby, reading his own book while Lily had spread out her charms homework on the couch. The fire was roaring but the atmosphere was calm. If she had told herself a year ago that she enjoyed spending her evenings hanging out with the Marauders, Six-Year-Lily wouldn't have believed her.

She had hated all of them, except Remus, since her First Year with a loathsome passion that could rival Grindelwald's. But when they were all reunited on the train to Hogwarts at the beginning of the year, something had changed. They were all older, more mature, and not just in looks (though it did help that James could have been mistaken for a working auror with the stubble he had been growing), but also in personality. Lily gradually began to hang out with them more and more, almost enjoying their antics. And the more she spent time with them, the more she cursed herself for rejecting James' infatuation with her for so many years, because it seemed he had finally gotten over his crush on her.

Which was a pity, as she had unfortunately began to develop feelings of her own for him.

"Y'know Moony, we should make this more interesting," Sirius proposed, devilish eyes flashing.

Remus raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Strip chess?" James chuckled without looking up from his book.

Lily laughed along with the others as Sirius frowned. She caught James' eye and her heart fluttered from his delighted smirk.

"That was one time, Prongs, and I wasn't exactly as sober," Sirius grumbled. "I was going to say we make an agreement."

Remus moved his knight, amber eyes sparkling. "Such as?"

"Well, if I win, you have to get me a subscription to Sexy Sorceress magazine for Christmas," Sirius winked and James burst out laughing.

"And if I win?" Remus choked out through his chuckles.

"I dunno, what do you want for Christmas?"

Remus paused for a minute, thinking. "A nice pair of wool socks."

"Are you kidding? That's the lamest gift ever!" Sirius cried.

Remus shrugged. "My feet get cold. Your move."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Peter, what do you want? Maybe hearing another perspective will get Remus' brainy head out of his Scrooge ass."

Peter turned pink at the sudden attention. "Uh, well- a girlfriend."

The boys cracked up, knowing full well that it was blunt honesty he had admitted under pressure. Peter turned a few shades darker as Lily put a hand to her heart. What he had said was actually kind of cute, but in a four year-old proposing to his 'girlfriend' kind of way.

"How 'bout a spine so you can use the loo in the middle of the night without getting scared that Myrtle is waiting in the U-bend?" Sirius joked, clamping a whimpering Peter on the back.

"Not in front of Lily," Peter hissed, unable to look her in the eye.

Feeling bad for Peter, Lily attempted to change the subject. "What I want for Christmas is for all of you to leave me alone when final exams come around, understand?" She scanned the four of them for signs of protest. They all knew she meant business and nodded, except James. He gave her a thumbs up and a sarcastic nod.

"James Potter, I am serious!" Lily warned, glaring at his obnoxiously adorable face.

"Actually, that would be me," Sirius interjected, making the group groan at the overused joke.

"Check mate!" Remus declared, standing up and taking a bow, winning their third game in a row.

"Best of seven!" Sirius challenged, his grey eyes flashing competitively.

"Sorry Padfoot, I'm a bit tired from winning so much," Remus yawned, ducking from the pillow Sirius attempted to throw at him. "I think I'll head to bed."

"Me too," Peter agreed and stood up with him.

"I do need my beauty rest," Sirius admitted and ran a hand through is hair. "Coming, Prongs?"

"Nah, I want to finish this book," James told him, turning a yellowing page. "You guys go ahead."

Sirius nodded, then glanced at Lily, smiling, "Goodnight, Evans. I hope you have the sweetest of dreams."

Lily wrinkled her nose in disgust and furrowed her eyebrows. "Go to bed before I hex you, Black."

Satisfied, the boys retreat up the stairs, Sirius chasing Remus rambunctiously and Peter trying to keep up with them with his short legs and extra twenty pounds. The common room was emptying out, and Lily glanced at the clock. It was nearly midnight.

"What are you reading that keeps you up until midnight?" she asked James, smiling.

James glanced up, a small smile on his own lips. "Says the girl who can't keep her nose out of a book to save her life."

"But you can. What is this book that can capture James Potter's attention for more than few minutes?"

"There are only three books that could ever accomplish such an impossible feat," James declared, playing along. "Number one, you're diary-"

"I-I don't have a diary."

"-Yeah, okay Evans. Next, Quidditch Through the Ages-"

"I should've guessed."

"-And finally, " James lifted the book to reveal the worn, green cover. "A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens."

Her eyebrows rose in surprise. "Why's that?"

A genuine blush crept on his cheeks, a rare occurrence for the courageous Marauder. "If you must known, my mum used to read it to me every Christmas."

"That's adorable," Lily cooed, and James rolled his eyes.

"Shut up, Evans. You still wear the scarves your mother knits for you every school year," James fired back playfully, pushing his glasses up his nose.

Lily stopped and titled her head slightly to the side. "How'd you know that?"

"You told me once, in like, Second Year," James shrugged. Lily couldn't help but grin. He remembered something about her, something so insignificant it seemingly shouldn't matter. But to her, it meant the world.

Trying to hide the blush on her own face, Lily began clearing the books and papers off the sofa. "You need a scarf to keep warm, but not an old book from your childhood."

"Don't you be dissin' my man, Dickens," James snapped flamboyantly, making her laugh. "I'm serious though- no, not Black- this book is fantastic."

James got up from his armchair and fell next to her unto the couch, flipping through the pages. He seemed unfazed at how close they were, how their knees touched, how their arms were pressed together, how their faces were inches apart…

"Ah, here it is," James announced, stopping at a page, pointing a long finger at a passage. He cleared his throat, and then read: "I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, Present, and Future. The spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach."

"Words of Wisdom," Lily noted, giggling at the look James gave her with stubborn, deep, brown eyes.

"This is literature at it's finest Ms. Evans, and just in time for Christmas, too," James told her, looking around the common room. "The fire crackling, the lights are twinkling and hell, would you look at that, it's snowing!"

James' eyes fell on hers. "It's hard not to be in the Christmas spirit, don't you think?"

They were so close. Lily looked back at him, her own eyes darting to his lips without even realizing it. The common room was empty; everyone else had gone to bed. She wanted to kiss him so badly, but turned away, breaking the connection, though immediately regretting it.

"I don't think I've ever met someone who loved Christmas as much as you, James," Lily said and glanced back at him. He wore a strange expression on his handsome face. It wasn't quite smug, but there was certain omnipotence that was reflected on his features. "Wait, you never said what you wanted for Christmas!"

"Does that mean you'll be getting me a present, then?"

She shrugged, bashfully. "I don't know. It depends if you want something or not."

James stared at her, as if contemplating hard. She braided her hair nervously. Finally, he sighed and chuckled under his breath. "I could say something simple, like broom polish or a quill, but that's not true. My parents will be getting me some unnecessarily extravagant gift, I suppose. But that's not what I truly want for Christmas."

"Well, what do you want, then?"

"Honestly?" She nodded. "I don't want a lot, I don't really care for the presents that'll be under the tree on Christmas morning. Same with my stocking- it's a bloody sock, for Merlin's sake. No St. Nick can make me happy, I can promise you that. Hell, I wouldn't even wish for snow, it's nothing in comparison."

"I already know how Christmas will go. The lights will shine brightly; children will be laughing, people will sing and bells with rings, yadda yadda yadda. But the only way I'll be able to enjoy it is if I get what I want."

"And?"

James smiled. "You, Lily. All I want for Christmas is you, more than you could ever know."

She stared at him, her heart pounding in her chest, a smile forming on her lips.

"Is that manageable?" he laughed and she giggled too. Lily leaned in and kissed him gently. He cupped a hand around her face and pulled her in. Lily thought she would burst from happiness.

"Happy Christmas, James," she murmured as they broke away.

He grinned, and kissed her once more. "And to all, a good night."


End file.
